Rest and Refuge
by beardedjamison
Summary: The village jill-of-all-trades is faced with a formidable task when she meets the newest villagers, a prince and his butler, after they show up on her doorstep unannounced.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The writing is mine, the characters and Harvest Moon universe are not. No money being made here.

Warnings: Slightly AU - I'm taking what already exists and twisting it a big. That said, I won't be following heart events and dialogue strictly. Where's the fun in that? I've also been reading too much high school manga for an almost 30 year old. So...brace yourselves.

 **Rest & Refuge**

* * *

It was the first day of Winter and Echo Village had already been blanketed in a heavy layer of snow. It was to be expected, as the seasons in this part of the world were vehement due to their brevity. It was also easy to forgive, when the early morning light set the already quaint village in a warm glow, the now crystalline surfaces of the roads and shop roofs twinkling impishly. The two young men travelling through Echo that very morning had never experienced a landscape so magical, at least not in such a way.

They were dressed in a similar fashion, but anyone native to Echo and its surrounding region would have immediately noted the voluminous pants and strangely shaped shoes as foreign. And certainly not suitable for the current weather conditions.

"You should have stayed behind in the warmth of our new home, Master." The taller of the two, a sturdy yet lean man, said as he turned to look over his shoulder at his companion. "I could have certainly made this trip alone as your emissary."

The master furrowed his white browns and frowned severely. His slightly lined face formed the expression with ease, as if it was frequent donned. "I am not that cruel, Sanjay. Despite what Rashida says." While his companion muttered 'your sister thinks no such thing' behind the fabric of his head covering, the master continued, "Besides, you are not the only one who is curious about this farmer. Is she truly a woman? I can't imagine father allowing Rashida or Sari to endure such manual labor, or live so far from the palace – without a chaperone no less!"

Sanjay continued through the larger drifts, purposely taking additional time to widen the path. Puffs of snow glittered and gathering around his knees before the wind swept them up into the air. The cold spray caught him in the face as he blocked the icy breeze from his master. "There certainly seems to be more freedom here to do as one pleases, but don't forget that you, Master Amir, as well as Rashida and Sari, have specific responsibilities that those residing in this village do not."

Amir scowled again. "Of course I haven't forgotten. It is just unusual."

Sanjay smiled but it was unseen behind his scarf. "Perhaps Mr. Dunhill forgot to mention that she was attached to a man in town. She might even be already married, and we will not need to be as concerning for her safety."

"Perhaps."

* * *

A sliver of light slid through the heavily drawn bedroom curtains and down over the face of a snoring young woman. She groaned and threw a thick comforter over her head for just a moment before whipping it back onto the foot of the bed as she jerked awake. "Shit-shit-where is-" She pawed blindly for the clock on her bedside table while rolling off her pillow top mattress. "Gotcha." The green numbers on the clock face glowed in the darkness of the bedroom. 6:15. "Goddammit!"

The wooden floors were like ice beneath her bare feet as she ran throughout the farmhouse. She'd learned after her first year on the farm to not rely on her gas heat, but the charred logs in the fireplace held little warmth now after burning all evening. She threw on a pair of thick cable knit socks over the heavy insulated leggings she slept in and slipped a baggy sweater from her university days over her head, almost knocking her toothbrush out of her mouth and launching it across the living room. She sighed heavily and returned to her bathroom to salvage the hair she'd managed to toss and turn into a million knots.

"What a mess." She frowned at her reflection as she stood at in front of the bathroom vanity. Although admittedly never a morning person, once becoming a farmer it became a necessary habit for her to wake well before the sun. Klaus had said that she was wearing herself too thin these days. Her naturally fair complexion was missing the peachy warmth underneath the splattering of freckles inherited from her redheaded mother, and she couldn't ignore purple crescents forming under her eyes. While never conventionally pretty, she always considered her looks passable. She had a strong resemblance to her strikingly average father after all, as Dunhill seemed so keen to remind her.

The mirrored cabinet held a few bottles of stamina rejuvenation pills from the clinic, but Klaus often warned her that they were habit-forming so they went unused. She eyed them for a few moments before closing the cabinet. A cup of tea would make her feel better. Tea and bacon. Maybe after the chores she could -

A large thud came from living room and jolted her out of tea and bacon reverie. The farmhouse was quiet all for the wind whistling around it and occasionally jostling the shutters. Dunhill never knocked. No one knocked.

She slipped on her glasses and carefully padded to her bedroom where she kept a wooden baseball bat next to her bed. The weather was too poor for her usual visitors, and Dunhill wasn't expecting the special residents, for whom she had recently built a very elaborate house, for at least another week. Whoever, or whatever, was outside knocked again and she approached the door with the bat in her right hand, slightly hidden behind her leg. Her left hand was on the door handle and she took a deep breath.

The door flung open and ripped from her hand with the force of the wind, sending a pile of snow into her entryway and momentarily blinding her. She sputtered and rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes.

"I apologize! Miss, are you all right? Here, let me."

A warm fabric was in her fingers and without reconsidering it she wiped the snowflakes that had entangled with her eyelashes.

"Miss Rachel?"

She could feel the cold seep through her sweater and her socks were sopping up the melting snow that was now on her floor. She rubbed her eyes again and blinked. "Ellie. Everyone calls me El-" At that moment she finally got a good view of the person disrupting her morning.

What a stunning creature.

He was tall, a good deal taller than she, and took up a most of her doorway, thankfully blocking additional snow from flooding her living room. His skin had a deep warmth to it that reminded her of freshly steeped tea and his hair, now damp and a bit haphazard from the wind, was the most brilliant white she had ever witnessed. It hung heavy over his shoulder in a long braid, escaping the fabric that had been wrapped around his neck.

Was he a winter sprite? A bit tall, perhaps, but...

"Ah...no, no. N-not anything so marvelous as that, uh Miss Ellie was it?"

Sweet goddess, did she say that aloud?

Ellie's face burned red. "Yes...I go by Ellie, but by given name is Rachel." If the floor would swallow her she'd be forever grateful.

The man smiled. "I apologize for startling you. My name is Sanjay, and my master and I will be living in the house that you recently built. May we come in?"

She was dazed for a moment, her frazzled brain trying to make sense of what he so clearly spelled out, before backing up to allow space for him to enter. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you would be here today."

Sanjay, who had never stopped smiling, reached for her but stopped before making contact.

"May I?"

Ellie blushed to her roots again. "Ah what-?"

"My scarf."

Ellie hadn't realized that she was still holding the fabric he had given her, or that it was attached to him and she was pulling him along. "Oh! Sorry!"

There was a light cough and Sanjay immediately moved away from Ellie to reveal a shorter but equally beautiful man with a stern frown and piercing blue eyes.

"This is Prince Amir, my master."

Amir was suprisngly delicate but fierce. His stare felt like a disection and Ellie braced herself for a reprimand she wasn't sure she deserved, but would gladly accept if it meant he'd look elswhere.

"I was surprised by the exceptional craftsmanship of the home you built. I would say your skill rivals that of my own builders. How is that possible?"

Should she have been offended? Ellie felt the burn of humiliation and anger bloom in her chest, but remembered that he was a guest, likely one of Dunhill's most favored, and was probably used to speaking to people like an asshole. What should she have expected from a prince? "Well...your kind words are certainly generous-"

"I'm not being kind. It is an honest critique."

Right. Ellie inhaled and tried again. "Thank you. I studied architecture for many years while at university and carpentry is a family trade. You could say it's in my blood."

Amir appeared to ponder her words for a short time before gracing her with a soft smile that she wouldn't have believed him capable of moments ago. "I see. A family business is something I understand very well. " Amir's shoulders loosened and his stature slouched slightly, making his stance more relaxed. "We will be living here for some time, so I would like to discuss your future projects while they are in progress. It is my hope that studying the success of this village will aid me with my own endevours in my homeland." His tanned hand was presented before her, palm slightly turned. "A deal is sealed with a handshake, yes?"

What was she getting herself into? Ellie returned his smile despire the curling of anxiety in her gut. "Yes, you're right." She slid her palm against his and was suprised to find it very warm, his fingers curling around her hand firmly.

"Good." His stern expression returned. "However, I do have one question."

Ellie swallowed. "Yes?"

"Do you usually great your visitors with that?" The hand he had used to shake hers was gesturing to her side where she still held the baseball bat.

Mother fuc- "Ah...no, not when I'm expecting them."

Amir huffed lightly. "And when you are not expecting them?"

"Sometimes."

The prince crossed his arms and glanced at his companion before piercing Ellie with another intense stare. "I see. Are you involved with a man?"

"What?" Ellie squeaked and stepped back instinctively and held the bat to her chest. "What kind of question is that?" A fluttering of blue caught the corner of her eye and she noted

Sanjay standing at her side with both hands raised, palms facing her.

"Master Amir would like to know if you have sufficient assistance, in cases where you feel a weapon necessary." He spoke in a deep, soothing tone and touched the baseball bat right beneath her curled fingers. She let it go when he grabbed it and set it on her sofa.

"I haven't found many threats in this village, but I like to be cautious." She frowned after realizing how easy she was to disarm and wondered if she'd proven their point unintentionally. "So far I've been very successful taking care of myself."

The tension lasted for only a moment because Amir chuckled. It was so light and boyish that Ellie found herself emotionally disarmed as well. When he glanced at her the chuckled turned into a full laugh.

"I see, I see. So defiant." The prince coughed into his fist and reclaimed his stern frown but there was a softness around his eyes that hadn't been there before. "Now that we have an agreement, your safety is my concern. Sanjay is my personal assistant and handles many matters for me, including protection if the need arises." He gestured to Sanjay and, as if sharing thoughts telepathically, Sanjay immediately knelt before her. "He will now assist you as well for the remainder of our stay."

Ellie inhaled sharply and stared in horror at the prince who had essentially just given her a person. "Ah...I'm honored truly...or something..." Was she getting a fever? She placed her cool palms against her cheeks. This was too much. "Please, Sanjay...don't..."

His head remained bowed, his long braid almost touching the damp floor. "If my master wishes, I will protect you with my life."

She was going to swoon, she could feel it. And she definitely wasn't that type. "Can you just...grab things that are too high for me to reach?"

Sanjay lifted his head and smiled at her gently before coming to his feet. "I can certainly do that as well."

Ah shit.

* * *

Two men trudged back down the long path they had made earlier. Their pace was leisurely, despite the violent gusts of wind that threatened to knock them into the quickly building piles of snow around them.

"Was that a smart decision, Master Amir? How can I effectively manage your affairs if I'm assisting another?"

The master was in the lead this time, following the carefully-made path with ease. "She's valuable to my plan. I have much to prove to father. He will be able to see things from my perspective when this is finished, I assure you."

"She was very embarrassed. It was wrong of us to alarm her so."

Amir smirked at Sanjay over his shoulder. "Oh? So that's what really concerns you? I'm surprised, Sanjay. You've never been interested in women before."

"T-that's not-"

Amir crossed his arms. "She is fairly plain, at least in comparison to what we're used to."

"That is unfair, Master. I am not interested, as you say, but she is certainly not plain."

It wasn't unusual for Sanjay to disagree with Amir, albeit not publicly, and the prince often valued the difference of opinion. But the topic of women wasn't shared often, as Amir was expected to wed whomever his family chose and Sanjay was too busy with Amir to bother forming any other attachments. Amir often wondered if he was selfish for holding onto his companion so tightly. "You are only saying so because she thought you were a handsome winter sprite."

Sanjay sputtered from behind him, likely melting the snow from the heat of his blush. Amir couldn't help but laugh heartily. Moving to Echo was certainly the best decision he had made in a while.


	2. Chapter 2

Many thanks to anyone reading and enjoying this story, and to those who have favorited and/or followed it.

Enter Allen - resident rake and asshole, with a sweet center if you can get to it.

Rest and Refuge

Chapter 2

It was another typical early morning for Farmer Ellie, who hobbled along the thick snow drifts from the path outside her farmland to the front of Emma's home. She was the closest neighbor geographically, which was convenient when Ellie was carrying a sack of produce or gems to ship. Like this morning, when she was dragging a sled full of stone that she'd been hoarding for Dunhill's crazy projects. At this rate she had more than enough for whatever he decided to throw at her next, and the word on the street said that Rebecca was in a bit of a financial bind. Her suppliers wouldn't send her next shipments unless she settled her outstanding bills. It had been Emma's idea to purchase stone from Ellie and devise a way to secretly get it to Rebecca. But Ellie had no intention of receiving payment for the stone and told Emma thus. Her crop over the year had been profitable, so she had no reason to be stingy.

The shipping bin was surprisingly spacious, with a separate insulated section for perishables, and Ellie carefully deposited a few daikon before stacking the stone in neat rows and gently laying the gems beside them. She rolled her shoulders and massaged her upper arms, feeling the pinch in her muscles from the repetitive movement.

"You're going to bulk up like man with all that manual labor."

Ellie jumped in surprise and almost smacked her forehead on the lid of shipping bin that she'd started to close. "Sweet goddess, Allen! Could you not?"

The bespectacled hairstylist shrugged in a manner Ellie always found highly irritating. "My apologies."

Like hell he's actually sorry. Ellie rolled her eyes and retrieved her sled. "If I do bulk up like a man, as you say, your ass will be the first one I'll kick." She stomped past him. "Although I could likely still accomplish that now."

Allen chuckled and fell in step next to her. "You're so easy to rile, love. Isn't it too early for such hostility?"

Ellie wondered if she could trip him without feeling too guilty afterward. "No, not when you're around." The bag she had slung over one shoulder was starting to slip at her brisk pace and she wiggled to adjust it. "Speaking of early, why are you even up and about now? Don't you roll out of bed right before your salon opens?"

Allen sighed and grabbed the strap of the bag and slid it from her arm. "Not at all. And I'd hate to miss this Snow Festival that Dunhill's been going on about." In one graceful swing he had the bag over his own shoulder. He huffed lightly, taking in its full weight. "This is ridiculously heavy! What do you have in here?"

She snorted. "We're not all delicate and simpering, you know."

"So it would seem." Allen grinned as a devil might and playfully nudged her shoulder with his. "But I hear you play the damsel in distress rather nicely. What with Neil-"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Allen's eyes narrowed while his grinned widened. "Oh, but we must! How unusual for Neil to risk his own safety for the mannish village farmer!"

Ellie flushed from her checks to well below the modest collar of her knit sweater. "You and I both know he came for the cow!"

Allen hid his snickers behind his pale, find-boned fingers. "Poor dear, shown up by a cow. You'll never get married at this rate. Isn't that every woman's dream?"

It probably was. Ellie didn't give herself much time to think about such things since coming to Echo. She knew her father had hinted more than once in his recent letters about family and children, her increasing age and as well as his. She knew her time was limited for children, as it was for all women. But it was too much to bear if she really considered it - the pressure of finding a spouse, planning for a child, managing her farm. She didn't feel like she could successfully handle all three.

Allen had grown quiet while she was lost in thought as they made their way to the far edge of town. He tugged on a loose strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail. "I'm sure someone will feel enough pity and propose."

"Oh, like you?" She smacked his hand away. "Don't be offended when I don't faint from excitement."

Allen rapidly wrapped the length of her ponytail around his hand and gave it a sharp tug, taking her head with it and exposing the delicate arch of her neck. He leaned in and brushed her pulse point with his nose. "If I wanted you, sweet, I would have already had you."

"Miss Ellie?"

Ellie's stomach dropped when she caught sight of Sanjay, who was standing a few feet away with a shovel in hand, likely removing snow from the mansion's entryway before spotting them. It had been days since she'd seen him and the prince last, and she'd been so distracted by Allen that she hadn't even noticed that they were right in front of the mansion. Her face was burning red, and Allen still hadn't released her hair.

"Well, that was fast." Allen whispered in her ear. Before she could begin to question what that meant he took a quick nip at her neck and unwrapped his hand from her ponytail. Ellie shrieked and covered her neck with her palm, quickly putting space between herself and Allen, who was currently ignoring her. "Hello, butler." He greeted Sanjay with a small wave of his hand and placed Ellie's bag in her sled. He turned to her and tapped the tip of her nose. "I'll see you later."

Ellie stood as if frozen, her hand clasping her neck and her eyes wide in shock. He made such a display and left her to explain it! She heard the snow softly crunch behind her.

"Miss Ellie," Sanjay spoke so gently as he approached, close enough to touch her but not taking that liberty. "Are you well?"

She exhaled for what felt like the first time in years and winced slightly at the burn in her chest. "Y-yes, yes I..." Ellie paused briefly at the intensity of his gaze and had to look away.

"Did he hurt you?"

Ellie gasped. "What? No! No, not Allen." She chuckled breathlessly and ran her fingers over the loose bits of hair that had fallen around her face and tucked them behind her ear. "Allen likes to say ridiculous things and unsettle me, that's all." Ellie could tell that Sanjay remained unconvinced, as his eyes roved over her. Normally such scrutiny would have made her uncomfortable, but it was clear that he intended to see for himself that she was unharmed.

"I understand it is not my place to say so, Miss Ellie, but..." Sanjay coughed lightly into fist and furrowed his brow, "But he shouldn't manhandle you in such a manner, even in jest."

Ellie felt a warmth grow in her gut and her lips quirked into a small smile. She was inclined to agree that yes, it wasn't his place to say anything about how she interacted with the other villagers, but his concern was heartwarming and the formal way he went about it was very cute. "Thank you for being worried, but I'm okay."

Sanjay let the matter drop and with his height easily looked over her shoulder at the bag and sled that until that point had been forgotten. "Are you on your way to forage? Do you require assistance?"

Ellie turned from him and knelt before her pack. "No, actually. I was wanting to drop these off for Amir." She pulled out two cardboard tubes that had managed to remain unscathed despite sharing a space with her mining tools. "He said he was interested in the blueprints for the next two buildings I'm planning."

Sanjay offered his hand and she placed both tubes on his large palm. He smiled at her and gestured toward the palace doors. "Master will be very pleased. He is available at this moment - would you like to speak with him?"

"Oh...well, I mean I could. I know he's busy, so I wasn't planning on bothering him." Ellie turned back to her pack, hoping that Sanjay couldn't read the truth in her eyes. She was still rather embarrassed from their last encounter. Sanjay would graciously avoid mentioning it, but she doubted Amir would be so kind.

"Master Amir doesn't see you as a bother. Rather quite the opposite."

Ellie laughed dryly. "I don't know about that." She had an item for Sanjay as well, but had hesitated giving it. Did they have specific traditions about gifts? Would she offend him? That morning while packing her bag she had run through all of the terrible scenarios that a poorly-thought gift could garner. Perhaps she was also thinking too much. "I..I have something for you as well." She lightly grasped the bag she had loosely wrapped in colored parchment. "It's sort of an apology, for how I greeted you when we met...and for using your scarf...and...well, here." She couldn't meet his eyes when she placed the gift in his empty hand. "I heard from Clement that you really enjoy tea, and I grow it on my farm. It's probably not the quality your used to or anything, but-"

"Thank you." Sanjays fingers trembled slightly as they brushed away the parchment to reveal a small bag of dried whole leaves. "I have never received something so wonderful. Thank you very much."

Ellie smiled and rubbed the back of her head, an uneasy mixture of pride and bashfulness swirled in her stomach. "You're welcome."

As if remembering himself, Sanjay once again gestured to mansion. "You must be cold from traveling so far. Please, warm up inside for a moment. I will brew some tea from my homeland, if it would please you."

It would, very much. Ellie smiled. "Sure, that sounds nice."


End file.
